


30 Day Writing challange

by AlwaysWrong



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-04 04:35:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 9,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1076592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysWrong/pseuds/AlwaysWrong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>30 Day Writing Challenge. Something to get my juices flowing and get me back into writing mode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holding Hands

Ray liked holding hands. Just the simple human contact made him happy. It was an accident when he first held Gavin’s hand. They had gone to some horror movie together and like always they fought over who got the armrest, pushing each other’s elbows as the movie played. Eventually their arms would just be lying on top of each other half way through the movie.

It was Gavin who said they should see the Conjuring. Ray wasn’t the biggest fan of horror movies .They made him paranoid. Just when things started getting scary, Ray jumped and grabbed Gavin’s hand, which was right underneath his. Gavin didn’t pull away. Just turned his hand so he was holding Ray’s hand.

That’s how everything started. It became a normal thing for the two to hold hands. At first Ryan, Michael, Jack, and Geoff were confused by it, but went along with it when Ray explained his reasoning.

Now, none of them minded when Ray reached for their hands walking down the hall towards class. Gavin and Ryan would even be the ones to reach of Ray’s hand every now and again.


	2. Run Away

"Hey, Michael. If you could do one thing right now, what would you do?" Ryan asked, raking his fingers through Michael’s hair.

The two were on the room of the trailer that Ryan, unfortunately, called home. It wasn’t the best of living spaces, but more often than not, because Ryan’s mom worked so many shifts at the Waffle House, the place was  empty. Ryan was sitting with one leg dangling over the edge, Michael was stretched out beside him, his head resting on Ryan’s leg, the one that was stretched out in the roof.

"Anything?" Michael asked.

"Anything. Anything at all."

"I would runaway. Get away from this place. Get out of the town. I hate it here." he said, staring up at the stars. "I would pack a bag and start walking along Route 9 until someone picked me up. Go with them until they told me go get lost. Then just keep walking."

"Where would you go?"

"It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to be stuck in this town anymore. I was born. I’ll probably die here."

"What about me? What about Jack and Geoff? And Ray and Gavin?"

"You can come with me. I doubt y’all wanna live here forever."

"I don’t mind it. This is my home." Ryan said, running a hand along the metal roof.

"You’re home is a one bedroom trailer. You sleep on the couch." Michael pointed out, sitting up.

"It doesn’t matter. I’m gonna get a good job, and I’ll buy one of those big houses in the fenced in neighborhoods. I’ll drive my mom there and hand her the keys and tell her thanks for everything she’s done for me."

Michael faked a gag, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Shut up." Ryan said, shoving him.

"It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not going anywhere. Not yet." he said, leaning into Ryan’s side.


	3. Missing

Geoff walked up the stairs to the apartment above his dad’s tattoo parlor and headed for the bedroom he shared with Gavin. The room was a disaster. Clothes were thrown all over the place, the mattress of his bed was proper up against the wall, the covered with ripped off both beds, everything had been knocked off the top of their dresser and the windowsills.

"What the fuck happened here?!" Geoff yelled, grabbing for the baseball bat that he kept beside his bed.

"I can’t find it!" Gavin yelled.

Geoff looked around the room, looking for Gavin, putting his baseball on floor, realizing there wasn’t anyone in the apartment. Just the stupid British kid.

"Find what?" Geoff asked, finally finding where Gavin was.

The young teenager was on the floor, half under his bed with his ass stick in the air.

"Edgar." he said, crawling out from under the bed. His hair was full of dust and sticking up in every direction.

"That stuffed cow thing you brought with you from England?" he asked, putting his mattress back on the bedframe.

"I can’t find him." he pouted, sitting in the middle of the mess.

"I’m sure he’s around here somewhere."

"I can’t find him. I tore the room apart."

"I can tell." Geoff sighed looking around.

Gavin looked like he was going to cry. Geoff moved on to the floor beside him, putting an arm around the exchange students shoulders.

"I have an idea. Bella!" Geoff shouted, then let out a whistle.

A golden retriever puppy came running into the room, holding a toy in it’s mouth.

"Bella, drop it." Geoff told the dog.

Bella walked over and dropped the toy in Geoff’s lap.

"Here. See, it’s fine. IT doesn’t even have any holes in it. Just a little drool." Geoff said, handing the stuffed toy to Gavin. Gavin smiled and hugged the toy to his chest.


	4. Road Trip

"I don’t think I would call this a road trip." Michael said, cuddling closer to Gavin. "Six Flags is only three hours away."

"It’s a road trip because I feel more like a dad than your boyfriend." Jack said, from where he was in the passenger seat beside Geoff who was driving.

Michael was sitting in the middle between Gavin and Ryan. Ray was in the back of the SUV, riding in the truck with their backpacks. He was the only who everyone knew for sure wouldn’t get car sick and vomit everywhere. Even Gavin, who was purposely sat beside a window, had a bucket at his feet, just in case.

The six boys had purposely woken up extremely early so they could get to the park right when it opened, so they could spend as much time as they could at the park, before they had to head back to Austin.

Ray could be heard snoring in the trunk and Ryan was sleep, leaning against the window. Jack was awake, but more focused on his book, and answering the omnipresent question of “are we there yet.”

Michael was too awake to sleep, and was nuzzling against the side of Gavin’s neck, pressing kisses and nipping at his skin. Gavin would let out an occasional quiet moan and dig his fingers into Michael’s thigh.

Geoff was annoyed. He was stuck driving because he was the only with a car. He couldn’t sleep like Ray or Ryan. He couldn’t fool around with Michael and Gavin. He couldn’t even play the music he liked because it would be too loud and wake up Ryan and Ray.

Geoff his the breaks hard when he heard Gavin let out another little moan He could hear the groans off pain and annoyance coming from behind him and smiled to himself, pressing on the gas.

"Sorry. I thought I saw a deer." he lied, trying to hide the smile in his voice. "It was just a plastic bag."

"You’re a dick." Ray groaned.

"Sorry, baby." he said, glancing back at Ray in the rearview mirror, but the lad ad already lain back down.

"You’re just luck there weren’t any other cars around when you did that." Jack mumbled under his breath, not looking up from his book.


	5. Home

Ryan found Gavin sitting in the back stairwell of the school, his legs hanging over the edge of the landing.

"I’ve been looking everywhere for you." Ryan said, sitting down next to the lad. "You weren’t in art class."

"Yeah, I didn’t want to go," Gavin mumbled.

"Should of told me. Could have ditched together. Done something. You didn’t miss much anyway. We were just working on our sculptures." he babbled for a second. "So what did you do instead of class? Go out tot he car with Geoff and blaze up?"

"No. I sat here." he replied, staring down at the first floor.

"You just sat here? Are you alright, babe?" he asked, moving closer to the lad.

"No. I miss home."

"This is home, Gav." Ryan told him.

"No. This is your home. I’m from England remember." he sighed, resting his head against the railing.

"So, you’re homesick. Call home." he suggested, digging his phone out of his pocket.

Gavin took the phone and stood up, walking slowly down the stairs. Ryan got up and followed him. They walked down the hallway as Gavin listened to the phone pressed against his ear.

"No answer." he sighed, handing the phone back to Ryan.

"I’m sorry, kiddo." he said, shoving the phone in his pocket. "You can try again later."

"I know."

"But, until then, you know, we can make this place your home. Wanna go round everybody up and head back to Geoff’s? We can drink and smoke and talk in British accents until you think you’re back in England."

"Sounds great to me." he smiled.

"Than onward to Michael’s class!" Ryan shouted jumping on Gavin’s back.

Gavin laughed, grabbing Ryan’s legs as he stumbled down the hall.


	6. Tattoos

"How you doing, Ray?" Michael called out.

"I’m in pain." he called back.

Michael was sitting in the chair in Geoff’s cubical getting Link tattooed on his arm by Geoff. Ray was in the cubical to the left getting a rose tattooed on his shoulder by Geoff’s dad.

"You’re doing great, babe. Just keep breathing." Geoff hollered out, dipping the needles into the green ink.

"Do you need me to come hold your hand?" Michael teased.

"Maybe." he answered.

"Geoff, hold on. We need to go take care of Ray." Michael said.

Geoff put the tattoo gun down and the two headed over to where Ray sat. His face was pale and he was focusing everywhere but the tattoo.

"Do you want me to stop for a minute?" Geoff’s dad asked.

"No, if you stop now he’ll never let you finish." Geoff said, peeling off his gloves. He picked Ray’s water bottle up off the floor, opened it and handed it to Ray.

Michael sat down on the edge of the chair beside Ray and wrapped his arms around the lad’s skinny waist, being mindful of the half finished tattoo.

"You’re doing great, babe. You’re almost done." Michael said, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

Ray rested his head against Michael’s shoulder, squeezing Michael’s wrist as Geoff’s dad finished up his tattoo.

"All done, kiddo." he said, setting the tattoo gun down and wiping the blood and excess ink of Ray’s arm. "Take a look."

Ray pulled away from Michael and looked in the mirror. “That’s awesome.”

"Come on, Michael. Before you start feeling the pain." Geoff said, pulling Michael back to his chair.

Ray sat down in Michael’s lap, admiring his rose as Geoff went back to work on Michael’s tattoo.


	7. Alcohol

"How do you drink this shit? It fucking burns!" Ray choked out, passing the bottle of whiskey back to Geoff.

"Easily." Geoff said, putting the bottle to his lips and taking a long drink.

Michael took the bottle from Geoff and took a drink before passing it to Gavin.

It was just another boring Saturday night in suburbia. Everybody was hanging around Michael’s house because his was the only house that was empty. Michael’s mom was working the late shift at the hospital.

"It’s disgusting." Ray said as the bottle was passed back to him. He put the bottle to his lips and took a drink anyway.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Ryan asked, taking the bottle.

"Blaze." Ray suggested.

"You got money to buy the weed?" Jack asked. Ray didn’t answer. "Did think so."

"I’m drunk." Gavin announced, laughing and leaning against Michael.

"I think I’m gonna be sick." Ray said, jumping to his feet and running towards the bathroom.

He dropped to his knees, bent over the toilet, throwing up the alcohol he had just consumed. Geoff was behind him in a second, rubbing his back.

"Alcohol is poison. How do you drink it all the time?" Ray groaned, resting his against the toilet seat.

"I’ve got things inside of me that I need to kill." Geoff sighed, sitting back on his heels, rubbing Ray’s back.


	8. Dancing

Michael hated dancing, he sucked at it. He didn’t know how to lead the girl around, not that any girl would want to dance with him. But that didn’t bother him, he had his boys.

But it was mandatory for the students to learn how to dance in gym class. Waltz, foxtrot, tango. It was a little pathetic, but it was mandatory curriculum. Everyday on the way to gym class, Michael cursed the Texas education system. The girls changed into their high heels along with their gym clothes, the guys just into their gym clothes, and the attempted to dance for the next hours. It was brutal.

"I’m gonna fail. I’m gonna fucking fail gym class." Michael griped as he changed out of his gym clothes.

"You’re not gonna fail gym." Ryan argued with him.

 ”I cant do these dances. I’m gonna fail.” he said, tying up his converse.

"I’ll teach you. Come on."

Ryan grabbed his backpack from his locker and held his hand out to Michael. Michael grabbed his backpack, took Ryan’s hand and let himself be dragged through the school.

Ryan led Michael upstairs and into a hall that was blocked off for renovations. He pushed a plastic tarp aside and tugged Michael into the upper gym. There were boards stacked up along a wall, buzz saws and toolboxes were lying on work benches. An iPod sat plugged into some speakers on one of the work benches.

Ryan let go of Michael’s hand ad dropped his backpack by the door. He pulled his iPod out of his pocket and plugged it into the speakers, picking a song. Eclipse by Pink Floyd.

"Really?" Michael asked as Ryan made his way back over to him.

"Come on. You know Pink Floyd." He smiled, taking Michael by the hands and leading him into the middle of the room. "It’s better than the stuff Bailer makes us dance to."

"Alright." Michael sighed, putting a on Ryan’s back.

"What do you think you’re doing? You aren’t gonna lead." Ryan laughed, moving Michael’s hand from his back to his shoulder. "Just follow me."

Michael couldn’t help the smile that played on his lips as Ryan led him around the room. It was actually fun when he wasn’t the one trying to leave. He didn’t step on Ryan’s feet like he kept accidently doing when he was dancing with Lindsay. Ryan would spin Michael and the gym would fill with his laughed. Michael was actually disappointed when the song ended.

"See, you can dance. You just can’t lead." Ryan laughed, giving Michael a quick kiss.

"Great. So I’m a submissive little bitch?" He said with a smile.

"Like this is new information to you." Ryan teased, still holding Michael close.


	9. Snow

It’s rare when it snows in Austin, Texas. Yes, it get cold enough, but it hardly snowed. Today was one of those rare days. Almost half an inch of snow was on the ground when Jack woke up.

Jack sat in his pajamas eating his cereal in the kitchen, across the table from his grandma who was sipping tea, watching the news. Well, reading the list of school closings at the bottom of the screen. Within seconds of the name of their school scrolling across the bottom of the screen, Geoff was standing at the backdoor, knocking on the widow beside it.

"How do you get here so fast?" Jack asked, pulling the door open. "Where’s Gav?"

"It’s like the third time that it’s said school was closed." Geoff said, stomping the snow off his shoes. "He’s at the park with Ray and Michael. Hurry up, get dressed, the day’s wasting and we sill have to get Ryan."

Jack rolled his eyes and headed for his room. Whenever it snowed the guys would spend the whole day at the park, making snow forts, having snow ball fights, and rolling and showing each other down the hill, because none of them owned a sled. He could hear Geoff say a quick hello to his Nonna before following him to his room.

He didn’t bother with shutting his door, knowing that Geoff would be bursting in in any second. Geoff dropped down on to Jack’s bed and watched him change into warm clothes.

"Nice boxer." Geoff teased, seeing Jack’s Pokémon boxers.

"Bite me." he sighed, tugging his jeans up.

'What's wrong?” Geoff asked, standing up.

"Nothing. I just woke up like fifteen minutes ago and you have the energy of seven toddlers."

"Aw, my little Jackie isn’t a morning person." Geoff teased, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist.

"You know this already." he mumbled, putting his arms around Geoff’s shoulder, shirt still in hand.

"Exactly. But hurry up, I want to get to the park while the snows still around and before Gavin hurts himself too bad." he said, standing on his toes and kissing Jack.


	10. Nightmares

It wasn’t uncommon for the guys to spend the night at each other’s house. Whether they planned it or just crawled through the window in the middle of the night, nobody ever questioned it.

Tonight most of the boys were at Geoff house. Michael and Ray were in bed with Gavin and Ryan was in bed with Geoff. The only reason Jack wasn’t there with them is because his Nonna was sick and he needed to be there incase she needed him in the middle of the night.

It was late, like really late, so late it was almost early, when Ryan was pulled from his slumber. It was normal for Geoff to move around pretty violently in his sleep. Ryan propped himself up on an elbow and rubbed Geoff’s back, trying to calm the lad down enough so he could sleep without getting his shins covered in bruises. When Geoff stated crying out in his sleep, Ryan knew something was wrong.

"Wake up." Ryan sad, shaking him. "Its just a bad dream. Wake up. You’re fine."

Geoff woke with a bit of a yell. Across the room Ryan was sure that the lads were awake because he could hear them moving around.

"You alright?" Ryan asked, staring down at Geoff in the darkness. He could make out some of the details of his face, along with the tears in his eyes. "Was it your mom again?"

Geoff nodded, burying his face in Ryan’s chest. Ryan wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight.

"What happened with Geoff’s mom?" Gavin whispered.

"She was fucking crazy." Michael whispered, rolling over to face Gavin. Ray was on the other side of Gavin, pressed up against the wall. This bed wasn’t big enough for all of them. "When she was still around she beat him to the point of him almost dying. She put him in the hospital more than once. It’s good that she’s gone."

"Where’d she go?" he asked.

"We don’t know. He won’t tell us that part." Ray chimed in.

Gavin propped himself up and looked across the room. Geoff was the strongest person he knew. Physically and mentally. He hadn’t realized that Geoff would have such a big secret hidden away in his closet.


	11. Hoodies

"Is that my hoodie?" Michael asked, looking at the sweatshirt that Geoff was wearing.

"Probably." Geoff shrugged, stuffing his hands in the from pocket of the hoodie he was wearing.

Geoff had dozens of hoodies that he wore on all the time. None of them were his. All of them were taken from one of the boys. It was hard to keep track of who’s hoodie he was wearing anymore. Except Gavin’s and Ray’s. Their hoodies fit him the best. All of the others hung off his skinny frame and almost swallowed him.

"I’ve been looking for it for months. My mom thought I was going crazy." Michael said, following Geoff down the hall.

"No, I just had it." he smiled, heading up to the second floor for his next class.

"Well, give it back. It’s my favourite."

"I’ll give it back to you at the end of the day."

"Why not now? How do I know you aren’t just going to keep it?"

"Because I give you a ride home. I’ll give it to you when I drop you off."

"Why not now?"

"Because I’m wearing it."

"Come on, it’s not even cold right now." Michael whined, following Geoff into his history class.

"I’ll give it back. I promise. Just not right now." Geoff said, dropping down into his desk in the back of the room between Jack and Ryan.

"Are you trying to hide your tattoos or something?"

"Or something." Geoff responded gravely. "Now go to class. You’re gonna be late."


	12. Late Nights

"One of these days we’re gonna cave in the roof of your trailer." Jack said, pulling himself up on to the roof of Ryan’s trailer.

"Probably." Ryan said, helping Gavin on to the roof.

Saturday night in Austin, Texas. Normally they would go downtown and party it up with everyone else. They easily blended into the crowds in the streets and would have their own booze so they didn’t have to worry about getting carded at the bars. But last week some shit went down and everyone was taken home in handcuffs. Needless to say they weren’t going downtown anytime soon.

Ryan’s place seemed the most logical to hang out, even though it was the smallest of all their houses. But his mom worked three jobs and on Saturday nights she worked the late shift at the Waffle House. They only hung out there because there was no adults around.

Michael was lying on his back staring up at the stars. Geoff had Ray pinned down and was kissing at his neck. The smell of pot was evident in air.

"What are you staring at?" Jack asked, taking the blunt from Michael’s fingers.

"Ursa Major." Michael said, pointing up at the sky.

"What now?" Gavin asked, taking the blunt from Jack and taking a hit.

"The Great Bear." he explained.

"I’ve never heard of that constellation." Jack said.

"The Big Dipper." Ray called out, giggling like a little girl.

"Why do you like the stars so much?" Gavin asked, lying down and cuddling under Michael’s arm.

"According to mythology they tell a story of a great war. Orion, the great huntsman. Scorpio, killer of Orion. Atlas, he holds the entire world on his shoulders as punishment for being one of Cronus’s three titans." Michael pointed at the constellation as he talked. "Zeus is the king of the gods and was in charge of the group of gods who overthrew their father, Cronus. See the gods, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and the others who helped, the got planets named after them instead of just stars."

Ryan, Jack, and Gavin were now on their backs, following Michael’s hand as he pointed out different stars, planets and constellations, hanging on to ever word he said. Ray and Geoff even pulled apart and listened to what he had to say.

"And they’re pretty." Michael laughed.


	13. Skipping Class

Michael sat on the floor, staring up at Ray who kept glancing down the hall towards his next class. The bell had just rang and there was still time to get to class without being marked late.

"Come on. It's just trig." Michael sighed. "Geoff and Jack are already out at the car."

"But I'm failing trig." Ray argued, shifting the weight of his backpack on his shoulder. "And what about Gavin and Ryan?"

"Ryan stayed home sick and Gavin's leaving after art class." Michael said, standing up. "You can go to class if you want. I'll see you after school."

Michael gave Ray a smile before heading down the hall towards the back doors of the building. He was at the doors when Ray ran up and slipped his hand into Michael's.

"So, where are we going?" He asked, leaning against Michael as they walked out to the parking lot.

"Probably the park until Gavin comes to meet us." he shrugged. "Then wherever Geoff decides we should go."

"I didn't think you were coming." Geoff said, flicking the butt of his cigarette away from the car. "Let's go. I can't afford another suspension this year."

Jack was sitting in the passenger seat with his feet propped up on the open door. Michael and Ray climbed into the back of the car and they were at the park in a matter of minutes.

Geoff stayed back at the car to answer his phone. It was Ryan, no doubt complaining about being left out of the plans they had for that day.

"Is Gavin just gonna meet us here?" Ray asked, holding tightly to the swing chains.

Jack stood in between the swings, using one hand to push Michael and the other to push Ray.

"Do you really think Gavin's gonna walk here by himself? He gets lost in the school halls." Jack said. Michael laughed. "He'll text Geoff and Geoff will go get him."

"Then what?" Michael asked.

"We'll figure something out." he shrugged.


	14. Hurt

"Please, be careful." Ray said, staring up at Geoff, Michael, and Jack who were climbing around on the roof of Jack’s house.

Jack’s Nonna had roped the boys into helping her set up her outside Christmas decorations, like she did every year. Michael, Geoff, and Jack were climbing around on the roof, hanging Christmas lights, while Gavin and Ryan set up the lawn ornaments. Ray was supposed to be helping Gavin and Ryan, but he was too busy standing in the lawn, worrying out the lads on the roof.

It had snowed the night before and the ground was slippery. The roof was only worse. Michael was scooting around on his hands and knees. Jack was on his knees. Geoff on the other hand, was walking around like there was no danger.

"Watch out, there’s some ice over here." Jack said, putting one hand on the roof so he didn’t slip.

"Geoff, be careful." Ray said, bouncing on his toes.

"I’ll be fine." Geoff argued.

"Geoff, be careful. For Ray’s sake." Ryan sighed, looking from Ray to Geoff.

"What do you want me to do? Crawl?" Geoff asked, turning to face Ray and Ryan.

Before either them could answer, Geoff slipped on a patch of ice and fell, sliding off the edge of the roof.

"I told you to be careful!" Ray yelled, running over to the older teenager.

"Fuck." Geoff groaned, using one arm to push himself into a sitting position.

"Are you hurt?" Jack asked, crawling over to the ladder.

"Yeah, my arm." he said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, to the car." Ryan said, helping Geoff to his feet.

Jack jumped off the ladder and head over to Geoff’s car. Gavin held the ladder steady for Michael. Ryan put Geoff into the passenger seat of the car and everyone else piled into the back of the car, while Jack started the car.


	15. Bonfire

"Is enough yet?" Michael ked, dumping another armload of branches into the pile.

"Yeah, this should keep it going for a while." Geoff said, struggling to light the kindling with his wrist brace.

"I got it." Jack said, taking the box of matches from the older lad.

Geoff sighed and sat back against the chair Gavin was sitting in. Gavin reached down and rubbed Geoff’s shoulders.

Gavin wasn’t allowed to help with e fire or go near the fire, just incase. So he sat in is chair, munching on the chocolate and marshmallows that Michael brought along with graham crackers to make s’mores.

Geoff was now demoted to being his buddy because he couldn’t gather the wood, and now he couldn’t start the fire, due to his wrist. Fortunately, his wrist wasn’t broken, but it was sprained pretty good.

"Why can’t we just use lighter fluid?" Ray asked, dropping down into his chair.

"That’s not how you make a fire." Jack said, before Geoff could. "See, there. The fire’s going. Now we just need to build it up."

Ryan helped Jack stack up the littler pieces of wood up around the small fire.

Michael sat down in Gavin’s lap, taking the chocolate from the lad. “Don’t eat it all before we toast the marshmallows.”

Once the fire was built up, Jack and Ryan took their seats on the other side of Ray.

"Michael, quit it." Gavin laughed.

Geoff looked up to see Michael nipping at Gavin’s neck.

"You two are gross." he grumbled, standing up and moving over to one of the empty chairs beside Jack.

"You’re just jealous." Michael said, his lips barely leaving Gavin’s neck.

"Probably." Ray laughed.

"Here." Ryan said, leaning over Jack and handing Geoff a glass pipe and a lighter. "Its all packed. It’ll calm you down and it’ll keep your wrist from hurting."

Geoff smiled and took the pipe, bringing it up to his lips.


	16. Art

Geoff had a strange talent for art. It was amazing the things he could draw, sculpt, and paint. He could get bored and doodle his creations on whatever he would find. He created characters for all of the lads based off their Minecraft skins and often drew them going on adventures around Achievement City, the world he and Gavin created in Minecraft.

It was something he got from his father, the artistic talent. At age sixteen, Geoff had his own chair in his father’s studio. His father wanted him to be like him and eventually own the studio when his arthritis forced him to stop tattooing.

Geoff always thought it was be the coolest thing to own the studio, but if he took over his father’s studio, he would mean being stuck in Austin until the end of time.

But for now, he was fine working at his father’s tattoo studio. It was better than his other job, working as a stock boy the local grocery store. He spent most of his time drawing whatever he wanted and designing what people asked for. Although not may trusted a high school senior to tattoo them. Even though most customers complimented the rose that was on the back of his father’s hand. The first tattoo he ever designed and did.


	17. College

"Jack, your grades are excellent." the councilors said, staring down at Jack’s transcripts. "I don’t understand why you insist on going to the local college when you could get into almost any university you wanted, on a partial or a full ride scholarship."

"I just don’t." Jack shrugged, looking around the office. He had spent a lot of time in that office over the past few years. More often than not it was due to skipping school and getting caught smoking in the parking lot. Hardly ever for something good though.

"Does this have anything to do with Mr. Heywood going to the local college?" she inquired.

"What does it matter?" Jack asked. "Even if I wanted to go to a university and got a full ride, I wouldn’t be able to go anyway."

"Well why not? What’s holding you back from going to Massachusetts Institute of Technology? That was the main school that you wanted to go to, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah, I wanna go to MIT. It’s one of the best computer engineering schools in the country." Jack sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I’ve got my Nonna to take care of. I’m all she’s got. I can’t leave her alone."

"Jack, your Nonna is an adult. She can take care of herself and she will understand if you want to go away for university." she explained.

Jack shrugged, staring down at his hands. The councilor was making a lot of sense, but Jack didn’t want to go away to for university until he knew that Ryan and Geoff was settled somewhere. Even if that meant he would be going to the local college with them for the next two years.

"Just think about it Jack." she said, holding out a few college brochures out to the teen.

Jack took the brochures and glanced over them as he walked out of her office. MIT, Stanford, Berkley, Cornell, Princeton, Virginia Tech. Just a few of the best computer engineering universities in the country.

He wanted so badly to look at them, sit around and decide which college to go to. But he knew he couldn’t, and rather than be taunted by what could have been he dropped the brochures into the trash on his was back to class.


	18. Army

It was Sunday night and everyone was at Jack’s house, sitting around the living room, watching _How I Met You Mother_ , because Jack’s Nonna liked it. Michael and Gavin were cuddled up in the corner of the couch, while Ray took up more space than he needed. Jack was in the chair beside his Nonna’s recliner. Ryan was stretched out on the floor, resting on a pile of pile of pillows. The only one who was missing was Geoff. But he had been missing since Saturday.

"Come here, Egg." Gavin said, leaning over Michael’s legs to pick up the cat.

"Her name is Ruby." Jack said with a sigh. For reason unknown to everybody except Gavin, the British lad always insisted on calling Jack’s cat Egg, no matter how many times people told him otherwise.

"Hey." Geoff said, as he walked into the house, not bothering to knock. Jack’s house had become his second home.

"Any where have you been?" Jack asked accusingly.

"Shoes, _ragazzo_. You’re getting snow everywhere.” Nonna snapped.

"I, uh….I was in Huston." Geoff said, stepping out of his shoes, leaving them in a pile with everyone else’s.

"What the f—erm is in Huston." Michael coughed midsentence to avoid swearing. Nonna hated swearing in her house, even though she cursed at the lads all the time in Italian.

"MEPS." Geoff said, sounding more like he was asking a question as he hung his coat up and sat down on the floor next to Ryan.

"What’s that?" Gavin asked.

"Geoff Ramsey, you didn’t." Jack said, his voice hard and low.

"I kinda did. " Geoff said, looking down at his hands.

"How could you!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "What about the plans that we made?!"

"Easy for you to say!" Geoff yelled back climbing to his feet, the meek nervousness he showed when he first came in quickly being replaced by anger. "You’re actually smart enough to get into college!"

"Can someone tell us what’s going on!" Ryan yelled over them all. He was on his knees, gripping one of the pillows so tight his knuckles were turning white.

Gavin, Ray, and Michael were watching the scene unfold lie a tennis match, eyes bouncing to whoever was talking, but sitting in absolute silence.

"Genius over here joined the army." Jack seethed.

"What?!" Michael yelled, jumping to his feet. Gavin, who had been lying in his lap tumbled to the floor. Egg/Ruby scampered out of the room, no doubt to hide under Jack’s bed until the yelling stopped.

"How could you do something so stupid?" Ryan snapped.

"Stop. Can I at least explain before y’all bite my head off?!" Geoff snapped, his hands in fists at his sides.

Ryan released his death grip on the pillow. Michael sat down on the armrest of the couch, helping Gavin back up on the couch. Jack stayed standing, his arms folded over his chest, glaring at the older teen.

"Yes, I joined the army. I’ve already signed my contract, my ship date is a week after graduation." Geoff explained slowly, trying to keep himself calm. "I know we made plans, but come on. Do you really think that I can get into college and make something of my life? Honest to God, I don’t think I can. So, I decided to make something of my life. I know I’ll have a career in the Army. It’s something that I can actually do with my life."

Jack stared at Geoff for a few moments before walking off to his bedroom. Geoff let out a sigh and looked over at the other lads. The looks of anger on had been replaced by ones of disappointment and sadness.

"Y’all mad at me too?" he asked, his voice his cracking.

 Nonna stood up and placed a hand on Geoff’s cheek, smiling at him lovingly. “I’m very proud of you, _tesoro_. Give _amore_ some time. He’ll come around.”

Nonna kissed Geoff on the cheek before heading off after Jack.


	19. Baking

"Are they gonna be mad forever?" Ray asked, picking chocolate chips out of the bag.

"I doubt it. They’ve known each other for forever." Michael said, taking the bag of chocolate chips from Ray and dumping them into the cookie dough.

"But it’s Geoff and Jack. They never fight." he sighed, watching Michael scoop the cookie dough on to the tray.

"I know, little one. But people fight and they make up." he said, rubbing Ray’s back.

"When are they gonna make up?"

"I don’t know. Soon I hope." Michael shrugged, putting the cookies in the oven.

"Can we lock them in a room together and refuse to let them out until they make up?" Ray asked with a smile.

Michael rolled his eyes and flicked flour at Ray. Ray stared at Michael, a shocked look and flour all over his face.

"I think that look works for you." he teased, flicking more flour at the younger lad.

Ray flicked some flour back at Michael.

"Are the cookies done yet?" Gavin asked walking into the kitchen.

Both Ray and Michael turned and flicked flour at Gavin.

"I’ll take that as a no." he said, picking up an egg and through it at te lads.


	20. Rage

Gavin had come over to Michael’s to study for his upcoming test. He would have studied at his, but Geoff had been blasting his music loud enough for the guys down at the tattoo parlor to complain. It made it nearly impossible for Gavin to study.

Michael promised that he would be quiet so Gavin could study in Michael’s room.

"You mother fucker!" Michael yelled from the living room.

Gavin sighed but kept his focus on his text book. Michael had started out playing some video game on his Xbox and now it was obvious that he was losing.

"Fuck! You son of a bitch!" Michael screamed.

Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle. Michael was cute when he got angry at the games. Gavin heard the control hit the ground.

A minute or two later Michael was in his bedroom, climbing into the chair behind Gavin, wrapping his arm’s around the lad’s waist.

"Why do you play those games if they just piss you off?" Gavin asked, shifting around so Michael was sat comfortably in his lap and he could still see his textbooks.

Michael mumbled a string of incoherent words and rested his head on Gavin’s shoulder.

Gavin smiled and pressed a kiss against Michael’s temple, wrapping an arm around his waist.


	21. Apologies

It was history class. Who needs history class anyway? They’d been learning the same thing in that class all semester. That’s why Geoff usually skipped that class. Plus it’s boring and there were no windows to stare out of.

Geoff took his time heading out to his car. A few songs on the radio and a hitter and he would have killed enough time before his next class. He was surprised to see Jack sitting on the ground in between their two cars. He shouldn’t have been though. It was normal for Jack to skip his fifth hour computer class.

"Hey." Jack said, looking up as Geoff walked over.

'Hey.” Geoff said back, opening the front door of his car and dropping down into the driver seat.

He leaned across the center counsel and pulled a packed hitter and a lighter out of the bottom of the glove box. He put the hitter to his lips and lit it, taking a long drag. He held the hitter and lighter out to Jack when he saw him staring. Jack took them and took a hit.

"Are you mad at me?" Jack asked, coughing as he blew out the smoke.

"No. But you’re mad at me." Geoff said, taking the hitter back and taking another hit.

"No, I’m not." he said quietly, staring down gravel.

"Yes, you are. You haven’t talked to me since I told you I joined the Army." he said, tapping the end of the hitter with the lighter to get the ashes out.

"I was mad then, but I’m not anymore." Jack admitted. "Even if I was it wouldn’t do any good. You signed your contract already. Me being mad isn’t going to solve anything."

"You’re not mad anymore?" Geoff asked, taking another drag off the hitter.

"I could never stay mad at you, dumbass." he smiled.


	22. Pain

Ray was a happy kid. He always was. So it took a lot to get him to cry. Even when he did cry, he refused to let anyone see.

It was late and Ray should have been asleep a long time ago. But he couldn’t fall back to sleep. He tried. It was just a dream, he knew that. But used to be real. The memory of his father leaving, even in a dream, was all too real.

He was lying in bed, staring out the one window in his room, wishing that he could go back to sleep, when Geoff pushed the window open and slid into the room.

Ray and his mom lived in a small basement apartment, so sneaking in and sneaking out was easy.

"Hey, kiddo." Geoff said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Hi." Ray mumbled, quickly wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"What’re you crying about?" he couldn’t help but tease.

"It’s nothing." he said, kicking his covers off. "Why are you here?"

"Well I was here to get you to go out to the lake. It was Ryan’s idea. But I think that can wait. What’s wrong?" he asked, looking with concern at the lad and he tugged a pair of jeans on.

"It’s nothing." he said, wiping his eyes again.

"Come on. If there is one person who will understand, it’s me." Geoff said standing up and taking Ray by his shoulders, turning the lad to face him. "What’s wrong?"

"It was just a dream. But it still hurts" Ray said, stepping closer to Geoff and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"I know it does, lad. I want to tell you it’ll stop hurt eventually, that the dreams won’t bother you anymore. But that’s a lie and you know it."

"Make it stop. It hurts." Ray mumbled, letting his tears fall.

"I wish I knew how."


	23. Gaming

"Lllllllllllet’s play!" Ray shouted excited, waiting for the game to load.

"It’s just Minecraft. I don’t know why you get so excited for it." Jack said, through the headset.

"But we’re going to the fucking moon!" Gavin shouted excitedly.

"Gav, you need to calm the fuck down." Geoff laughed. "I can hear you, and not through the headset."

"I still don’t know how to play." Michael said, the pout obvious in his voice.

"Aww. Poor little, Michael." Jack teased.

"It’s not my fault. I never even wanted to play this game." he said, wandering around the forest area in the game.

"Alright, Ryan. Tell us what to do, because I never bothered to look up how to get to the moon." Geoff said, punching a tree to get wood.

"Creeper!" Gavin screamed.

An explosion was heard somewhere off in the distance.

"Well that’s a new record." Ray laughed. "We’ve barely been playing for five minutes and Gavin already died."

"Right now, all we can do is gather supplies, then we’ll work on getting to the moon." Ryan said, building a wooden pickaxe.

"Why couldn’t we do this in Achievement City?" Gavin asked, as he respawned.

"Because Achievement City was build in the first generation of Minecraft. We had to use a new map when we wanted to go to The End. Remember?" Jack said, working on building a house.

"Oh yeah." Gavin mumbled, following Michael down a natural mineshaft.


	24. Mistletoe

Parties were never really Ryan’s favourite thing, but is was a Christmas party for one of their friends from school, and all the lads were there, so it wasn’t too bad. Plus nobody was bothering to keep an eye on the alcohol so Ryan and Geoff kept making themselves and the lads drinks.

Gavin, the light weight that he is, was in his dancey, giggly, lovey, stage of drunkenness after just two drinks. He made Ryan his target for hanging on to. Not that Ryan minded too much.

Gavin was holding on to one of Ryan’s hands, laughing, as they made their way around the party.

"Why is there a plant hanging from the ceiling?" Gavin asked, staring up at the doorway to the back porch.

"It’s mistletoe, baby." Ryan said, leaning against  the doorway.

"So…that means…I can do this…without anyone staring. Right?" Gavin asked, closing the gap between them and kissing Ryan.

Ryan wrapped his arms around the lad’s waist, pulling him closer as they kissed.

"Get a room!" Geoff laughed, throwing a snowball at the pair.

The snowball smacked against Ryan’s cheek, snow splashing over the two of them.

"We’ve been looking for you." Ryan said, wiping the snow from the side of his face.

"I was out here smoking. You can go back to your kissing. I’ll just watch." Geoff smiled.

Gavin smiled and went back to kissing Ryan.


	25. Christmas

Michael and Ray made their way up the stairs to Geoff’s apartment to exchange gifts and just hang out on Christmas morning. It wasn’t surprising that the door was unlocked.

Gavin was happy and content sitting on the floor playing through the new Xbox games that Geoff had gotten him for Christmas. Peggle 2 was what he was currently playing and he loved it was even better than the first.

Geoff was fast asleep on the floor, cuddled up to the Master Chief plushie that Gavin had got for him. Gavin woke Geoff up at seven in the morning, wanting to open presents.

The floor was covered in bows and crumpled up wrapping paper. Geoff’s dad was sitting in his chair, reading the book that Geoff and Gavin had bought him.

The boys left their presents underneath the tree with the others. Ray picked up the second Xbox controller and joined the game with Gavin while Michael made himself comfortable, lying across the couch. Even though it wasn’t that early, it was still too early for Michael’s taste.


	26. Sick

"I’m dying." Ryan groaned, burying his face in the couch cushion.

"You’re not dying, you just have the flu." Geoff said, rolling his eyes.

"No, I’m dying." he insisted.

"Well, if you’re dying should we really be here?" Ray asked, flipping through the TV channels.

"We’re not leaving him alone." Jack said, from the kitchen, where he was making lunch for the lads.

"Ryan, you’re place is small as dicks." Gavin commented. "How do you live here?"

"In the summer I sleep in a tent outside." he answered, his voice still muffled because of the pillow.

Ryan’s mobile home was a small one bedroom trailer. He slept on the couch when it got too cold to sleep in his tent. The small kitchen table was shoved up against the wall in the corner, and still got in the way. The only furniture in the living room was a couch, a chair and a TV sitting on a cheap and falling apart table.

Michael was curled up in Geoff’s lap in the chair. Ray was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch beside Ryan’s head. Jack was in the kitchen making lunch and Gavin was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Where’s you mom again?" Ray asked.

"The Waffle House." Ryan sighed. "She works so much and we’re stuck living in this dump."

"Once you finish college and start working as a lawyer, you’ll be able to buy her that big house you’ve always dreamed of." Jack said, setting a tray with bowls of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on the table.

"That day can’t come soon enough."


	27. Hickies

Gavin was grateful for the cold. It meant he could wear the creeper scarf that he got for Christmas. He needed to wear it too. He and Michael were fooling around last night and Michael had bit Gavin’s neck, leaving a rather dark bruise.

"Nice scarf." Michael teased at the lunch table.

"What’s with the scarf, lad?" Jack asked.

"I’m just cold." Gavin shrugged.

"A likely story." Ray said, suspiciously.

Geoff reached over and tugged the scarf down, revealing a dark hickey on the side of his neck.

"What the fuck." he laughed, releasing the green fabric.

"Looks like Michael’s bite is just as bad as his bark." Ryan laughed.


	28. Date Night

Ryan had Gavin didn’t normally hang out just the two of them. It’s not that they didn’t get along, it’s just that they never got the opportunity to be alone together. Gavin was usually with Geoff more often than not.

Geoff had to work late on Thursday nights doing inventory. Michael had family night with his mom and two older brothers. Jack had to take his grandma to physical therapy. Ray…he just didn’t like outside. So Gavin and Ryan decided to get together and do something.

No good movies were playing, so the two decided to go to the bowling alley. The best thing about the bowling alley, there was an arcade right next door.

"I sucked." Gavin laughed, returning his bowling shoes and getting his trainers back.

"You weren’t that bad." Ryan said, tying up his shoes.

"We should have gotten the bumpers." Gavin said, heading for the arcade.

Ryan stood up and jogged to catch up with Gavin. “We should have. Now we know for next time though.” he said, pulling open the door to the arcade.

The arcade was practically empty. Not many kids went into the arcade anymore. Just kids who didn’t have gaming systems at home. Ryan frequented the arcade. He loved the old stand up video games.

"I’m gonna suck at these games too." Gavin sighed, following Ryan back towards the older games, past the line of skeet ball games on the wall.

"I’m sure you’ll do fine." he tried to reassure the younger teen. but facts were facts and fact was, Gavin wasn’t the best at video games.

Ryan put a quarter into he machine and stood back, watching Gavin play the first level of space Invaders. He quickly finished the first two levels and started struggling with the third.

"Told you I would suck." he pouted, after he died at the end of level four.

Ryan put another quarter into the machine and stood behind Gavin, putting his hands over the teens and helping him with the game.

"See, you’re doing great." he said, kissing the side of Gavin’s neck.


	29. Sneaking Out

Sneaking out was always fun. Ask anybody. Geoff and Gavin could sneak out easily through the front door. Unless Geoff’s dad was asleep on the couch, then they would sneak out through the fire escape in the bathroom. Jack could sneak out the back door. Ray just needed to climb up and out of his room. Ryan didn’t even have to sneak out, since his mom was hardly ever home.

Michael was the only one who had trouble sneaking out. He was the youngest of three, so his mother knew all of the tricks. His room was on the second floor of the house, so he couldn’t go out his window easily. The stairs creaked like a mother fucker, and usually woke up his mom.

Unfortunately, if it involved sneaking out, Michael usually had to stay home. But tonight they were going to get in Geoff’s car and head up to the mountains. There was a secret lake up there that was one of the most beautiful lake and waterfall. They would stay there all night and watch the sun rise. There was no way Michael was missing that.

Michael had packed his backpack earlier in the day. Swimming trucks, a towel, some food, an ace bandage because last time they went up there Gavin spilled and sprained his ankle.

Michael waited until his house was quiet and he was sure his brothers were asleep before he kicked off his covers. He tied his shoes together and threw them over his shoulder. He tossed his backpack out the window into the law before throwing his legs over the windowsill.

He snuck across the roof to the rain gutter in the corner. He had mastered climbing down the gutter, with only cutting his hand once, but he still couldn’t master climbing it. David refused to show him.


	30. Protective

Geoff was lying in bed, his head resting in Gavin’s lap, trying to calm himself down. Geoff and his dad had gotten into a huge fight about Geoff joining the army and it ended with Geoff in tears.

Gavin hated seeing Geoff cry, so he stood up to Geoff’s dad, telling him to go fuck himself if he couldn’t see that he should have been proud of his son.

unfortunately, Gavin standing up to him didn’t help the situation. Geoff’s dad  had still left and had come home yet and the fight had been hours ago.

"It’s gonna be okay, Geoff." Gavin said, stroking Geoff’s messy hair. "He’ll come around."

"How do you know? He was pretty pissed." Geoff said, burying his face in Gavin’s thigh.

"Jack came around, didn’t he? Michael calmed down eventually. Your dad will too." he tried to reassure the older teen.

"He was in the army. I didn’t think he would react like this." he said, sitting up.

Geoff’s eyes were red and swollen and his cheeks were flushed and wet with tears.

"He will." Gavin said firmly, reaching up and wiping Geoff’s tears away with both hands. "I promise."


	31. New Year's Eve

Ten minutes to midnight, and Ray was the only sober one. The hangover he got from when they were drinking at the lake up in the mountains a few days ago was enough to keep him from drinking on New Year’s Eve.

Geoff’s dad was having a party and the tattoo parlor was packed with people. The curtains to the personal studios had been closed and tables were in front of them, so people knew not to go in them.

Geoff had ignored that though and crawled under the table and opened the curtain to his studio. He was currently lying in his chair, laughing his ass off, with a beer in one hand. Michael was standing on the other side of the table, trying to convince Geoff to let him in.

Ryan and Gavin had disappeared upstairs about twenty minutes ago. Ray wanted to go upstairs and get them for the countdown, but was afraid of what he would walk in on. Good thing the music was loud, otherwise everyone would be able to hear what they were doing.

Jack was the only one who was relatively sober. He was having a drunken conversation with a few of the adults in the room.

Right as the countdown started, Geoff agreed to let Michael into his studio. The curtain was closed with 10 seconds to midnight.

"Ray! Come here!" Jack hollered, making his way across the room.

Ray was happy that it was almost the new year. He was tired, the party was too loud, and he wanted to go home and go to bed.

"Five…Four…Three…" the people in the room yelled.

Jack wrapped his arms around Ray’s waist, pulling him close. “One.” Jack said, along with everybody else, pressing his lips against Ray’s. Ray stood on his toes so he could reach Jack, and held on to the front of his shirt. “Happy New Year.”


End file.
